Book Review: Cold Moon Over Babylon

Cold Moon Over Babylon

Author: Michael McDowell

My Review and Thoughts:

What a truly unique, vivid storytelling. A true sense of
placing the reader there. This book not only massively builds the characters, but allows you to experience the surroundings of a small town and most of all
it’s unique and interesting people. The book comes together in a terrific style
of morbid curiosity and Gothic over tones of an unknown dread and mystery.

This is an older book that I simply came across looking
through books on sale through Kindle and this was one of them that grabbed my
interest. I wasn't sure about it and it lingered in my digital world of the Kindle
for almost the whole year. I decided to give it ago as the last book to be read
of 2017. It became book number 124 of the year and I can say I am very satisfied
that I gave it a chance.

This is my first time reading a McDowell book and I have to
say wow. Simply wow in his style of building characters and surroundings. He
details a truly haunting simplicity that utterly drowns you in all its horrifying
mentality.

You start right off with a couple being drowned in the Styx
River. There kids Jerry and Margaret are raised by their Grandmother on a
Blueberry farm. You flash forward in years, Jerry has graduated high school,
Margaret is 14. It’s the time of the blueberry harvest. Introduce money woes, a
farm slowly not producing. A tragedy takes place. Murder, mystery and soon the
horrors from the dark waters of the Styx river comes into play. What makes this
story most interesting is you never see where the story is going until each
page is turned and wham, bam the plot slowly takes place. You are introduced to
a slew of characters. Many different styles of persona's that transcend off the
page into the imagination of the readers mind. There is a simple country folk
feel. A small-town atmosphere. You have your simple, your lovable, your
unbelievable, and most of all the mysterious and haunting.

Blueberries. Murder. The supernatural. The horrifying depths
of the black waters of the Styx river all come into play as this story unfolds.
It leaves you with a sense of a puzzle slowly with the pieces being placed into
the plot. You the reader are given a little more each chapter. The writing
style makes you, pulls you along to see just what takes place next.

What
horrors are waiting for this small town of Babylon. Michael McDowell is going
to take you on a trip to a small country town with secrets, lies and most of
all the unknown that is awaiting.

Spooky, scary. Descriptively morbid and dark toned
storytelling. It brings a total nightmare of the conscience of one's deeds to
reality. One-character Nathan who does not become a main character until close
to the end of the book, showcases the unraveling of the mind. The story becomes
a force.

A brilliant undertaking by the author is a Psycho style
moment when everything you have read, ends up stopping because the plot twists
and turns a 360 of shock. Adding to the brilliance of the story is the twists
and turns as the book slowly unfolds in graphic content.

Would I Return to it Again: I want to find more books by McDowell
and explore his other talents? This is a book that left a lasting impression and
is one I will look at again in the future. His characters are so down right
perfection on page. His story comes together flawlessly with those characters.
Sadly, McDowell is no longer with us. He died of Aids in 1999 which is a huge
bummer. His ability to capture characters is truly stunning. His characters are
living and breathing in Cold Moon over Babylon. Something interesting to note
is he left an unfinished novel titled Candles Burning. In 2006 Stephen King’s
wife Tabitha King finished the book and brought it out which I think is a cool
gesture of book loving honor and bliss for fans. I am after reading this one
novel, a huge fan. His style cannot be talked about enough. He truly was a
gifted writer.

Would I Recommend: I would to anyone who loves a good
mysterious horror story. It lingers long after it’s over.